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Kensho
Kensho was a Gelfling acolyte and later leader of the Gelfling Nation who lived during the Age of Power. He lent his services to the court of Jen and Kira after being healed of his childhood illness, but became disillusioned by the greed and conservatism of his fellow acolytes. He joined the Fireling Thurma in her quest to stop the Great Dim from destroying the subterranean world of Mithra. Their efforts resulted in a brief return of the Mystics and the Skeksis, one of which killed him. He was subsequently resurrected by the urSkeks and proclaimed the Lightborn. Traumatized by his ordeal, Kensho left the Castle to help the needy, but was forced to confront his demons after being imprisoned and tortured by the crime lord Trunk. He subsequently gained the power to absorb the Darkening and used it to heal Gelflings contaminated by Skeksis relics. Encouraged by his own good deeds, Kensho accepted his role as leader of his people and began the process of reforming Gelfling society. Biography Service to the Castle ]] Kensho was born in the early Age of Power to Kolba, in a village established by Chal centuries earlier.Spurrier, S. & Kennedy Johnson, P., The Power of the Dark Crystal #6, Archaia, USA, August 2017 As a child, his village had been hit by the blight, infecting him and his family with shadow fingers. Although he was saved, he was left with scars and went to the Castle of the Crystal in order that the rest of his family receive the the Crystal's healing light. As the Crystalline Eminence deemed their offerings wanting, Kensho offered to lend his services as an acolyte.Spurrier, S., The Power of the Dark Crystal #2, Archaia, USA, April 2017 Meeting Thurma with Thurma]] During a reception of pilgrims to the Castle, Kensho took pity on a family of Podlings lacking an offering to the Crystal, and gave them his birth stone.Spurrier, S., The Power of the Dark Crystal #1, Archaia, USA, February 2017 When the Fireling Thurma arrived to ask for a sliver of the Crystal in order to save her home of Mithra, Kensho inadvertently dreamfasted with her and burned his hand in the process. After Jen and Kira awoke from the commotion, Kensho revealed to them that the number of pilgrims had increased, and that the blight was likely to blame. He and Thurma were overheard by Aughra, who took them to her observatory and had Kensho's hand healed, despite his lack of offerings. Whilst Aughra consulted the stars for answers to Thurma's plight, Kensho took her to skekTek's former laboratory, where he showed her the relics of Skeksis rule. The tour was interrupted by the Crystalline Eminence and the Lord Commander, who reassigned him to cleaning the catacombs for expressing doubt as to the necessity of giving offerings to the Crystal. Escape from the Castle Kensho encountered Thurma again in the catacombs, where he discovered her hiding a shard of the Crystal inside a Tumbeloth. The pair were chased by skekSil and escaped from the Castle after Thurma burned through its walls.Spurrier, S., The Power of the Dark Crystal #3, Archaia, USA, May 2017 During their journey to the land of the Firelings, Thurma revealed the existence of the Pool of Tears, whose waters would protect Kensho from the Mithra's heat. When they discovered scouts on their trail, the pair separated, with Kensho secretly stealing the shard in order to return it to the Castle and gain clemency.Spurrier, S., The Power of the Dark Crystal #4, Archaia, USA, June 2017 He was eventually cornered by Jen and a train of Garthim and guards. He rebuffed Jen's pleas to hand over the shard, declaring his disgust over how greedy his race had become and how he doubted his word over wanting to help Thurma save her people. Before he could be detained, he was rescued by Bohrtog,Spurrier, S. & Kennedy Johnson, P., The Power of the Dark Crystal #5, Archaia, USA, July 2017 and the two flew to save Thurma from skekSil. Quest through Mithra The pair were flown to Kensho's village, where he confessed to having stolen the shard from Thurma to his mother. Upon arriving at Mount Thranir the next day, they noticed a wall carving commemorating Chal, which implied a common origin for Firelings and Gelflings.Spurrier, S. & Kennedy Johnson, P., The Power of the Dark Crystal #7, Archaia, USA, September 2017 On entering Mithra, they were confronted by Jen, who agreed to let them keep the shard. They were subsequently attacked by skekSil, who took control of Jen's Garthim and pursued them. Thurma then revealed to Kensho that the Pool of Tears had been a lie to get him to lead her to Mithra safely and the two separated.Spurrier, S. & Kennedy Johnson, P., The Power of the Dark Crystal #8, Archaia, USA, October 2017 They reunited when Kensho was attacked by skekSilSpurrier, S. & Kennedy Johnson, P., The Power of the Dark Crystal #9, Archaia, USA, December 2017 and escaped into a pool, where they accidentally dreamfasted and had a vision revealing that Firelings were the descendants of Gelflings. They landed in a pool which Kensho noticed made him stop feeling Mithra's heat, thus confirming the existence of the Pool of Tears.Spurrier, S. & Kennedy Johnson, P., The Power of the Dark Crystal #10, Archaia, USA, January 2018 Becoming the Lightborn ]] Kensho and Thurma crossed the Great Divide and arrived at the Fireling capital, now devastated by the Great Dim. Kensho witnessed Thurma receive the last of her dying mother's strength and accompanied her to the Wishing Well, where Thurma inserted the shard in a geyser, hoping that it would be shot into Mithra's Mother Sun and put a stop to the Dim. They were found by skekSil and, in the ensuing battle, Kensho extracted the shard from the geyser, having come to the realization that Thurma's instructions had been misinterpreted.Spurrier, S. & Kennedy Johnson, P., The Power of the Dark Crystal #11, Archaia, USA, February 2018 He fought skekSil with the shard, but it was knocked from his grasp and fell into a shaft. SkekSil subsequently stabbed him, and he confessed his love to Thurma before dying. After Thurma retrieved the shard and healed the Crystal, the urSkeks resurrected Kensho.Spurrier, S. & Kennedy Johnson, P., The Power of the Dark Crystal #12, Archaia, USA, March 2018 Entering Dagger Root Now known as the Lightborn due to his resurrection, Kensho was appointed leader of the Gelfling Nation by Aughra. However, fearing a return of the materialism and indifference which characterized Jen and Kira's rule, Kensho decreed that offerings to the Crystal were to be suspended. He later left the Castle, accompanied by Toolah and Bohrtog, carrying the food offerings and an orange stone in order to return them to their previous owners.Smith, A., Beneath the Dark Crystal #1, Archaia, USA, July 2018 The two lost their bearings in a forest and encountered the twin robbers Danevay and Aiyana. Identifying himself as the herbalist Kay, Kensho agreed to give the stolen offerings to their impoverished city of Dagger Root.Smith, A., Beneath the Dark Crystal #2, Archaia, USA, August 2018 Once there, he was confronted by the crime lord Trunk, who took his stone as an entrance fee. Kensho heard Thurma's voice emanating from it and determined to take it back with Toolah's help.Smith, A., Beneath the Dark Crystal #3, Archaia, USA, October 2018 Together, they released Trunk's prisoners and Kensho allowed himself to be captured in order to retrieve the stone.Smith, A., Beneath the Dark Crystal #4, Archaia, USA, November 2018 Imprisonment and skekSil in the Prism]] Trunk, who had learned of Kensho's true identity by listening to Thurma's voice emanating from the stone, detained him and tortured him with Skeksis-forged chains which polluted his mind with negative thoughts. Believing that the light that had resurrected Kensho was still inside him, Trunk attempted to physically extract it from him.Smith, A., Beneath the Dark Crystal #5, Archaia, USA, December 2018 After being stabbed, the light emanated from Kensho and drove Trunk insane. Kensho fell unconscious and found himself in the Prism, where he met the spirit of urSol the Chanter. He was saved by Toolah, Danevay, Aiyana and the song teller Dihnmor, who noticed a black substance emanating from the unconscious Kensho's body. Meanwhile, Kensho's mind remained in the Prism, where he was confronted by the spirit of skekSil.Smith, A., Beneath the Dark Crystal #6, Archaia, USA, January 2019 The Skeksis Chamberlain taunted Kensho for his melancholy, declaring that he had never truly recovered from his death, while urSol encouraged him, reminding him of Thurma's love for him and instructing him to journey to the Valley of the urRu in order to find the hope he had lost.Smith, A., Beneath the Dark Crystal #7, Archaia, USA, February 2019 At the Valley of the urRu Upon regaining consciousness and animated with a new sense of purpose, Kensho journeyed to the Valley with his companions, feeding people along the way and decreeing that their destination become a safe haven for the poor. Once there, Kensho encountered Aughra, who revealed his true identity to his companions. Now distrusting him, his companions left him and Aughra urged him to let go of his self doubt and use his new life to help others. Later, Kensho lit a fire and encountered Thurma in a vision.Smith, A., Beneath the Dark Crystal #8, Archaia, USA, March 2019 The two encountered the spirit of Cindrah, who informed him that running from his responsibility as the lightborn was placing Thra in danger. Before departing, Thurma gifted Kensho with a part of her flame to protect him. In return, he gave her the stone he had taken from Trunk, so that they could remain in contact.Smith, A., Beneath the Dark Crystal #9, Archaia, USA, May 2019 Returning to the Castle Kensho left the Valley and caught up with his companions, whom he apologized to for deceiving them. Their reconciliation was interrupted by the arrival of a former prisoner of Trunk, emanating the dark substance and wrapped in Skeksis-forged chains. The darkened Gelfling attacked Kensho, wanting to possess his light, but was healed when Kensho absorbed the darkening within him. Realizing that there were other inhabitants of Dagger Root suffering from the same condition heading to the Castle,Smith, A., Beneath the Dark Crystal #10, Archaia, USA, June 2019 he intercepted the horde and attempted to heal them, but was overwhelmed by their numbers. After failing to convince the new Crystalline Eminence to not send the guards to attack the darkened Gelflings,Smith, A., Beneath the Dark Crystal #11, Archaia, USA, July 2019 Kensho took Danevay's artificial wings and lead them to the Crystal chamber, where the Crystal absorbed their darkness and healed them. After unanimously being accepted as leader of the Gelfling Nation, Kensho had all Skeksis artifacts disposed of. He then projected himself into Mithra, where he assured Thurma that they would meet again once both their kingdoms were rebuilt.Smith, A., Beneath the Dark Crystal #12, Archaia, USA, August 2019 Behind the scenes The character was conceived by David Odell and Annette Duffy for their screenplay of The Power of the Dark Crystal, where he was referred to as a "Gelfling outcast".B. Brevet, Hi-Res Look at Queen Kira from ‘Power of the Dark Crystal’!, Comingsoon.net, February 14, 2006 Beneath the Dark Crystal's writer, Adam Smith, stated in a 2019 interview that Kensho's melancholy and self doubt was largely based on his own experience of recovering from a disfiguring motorcycle accident.Trial By Stone: Interview with Adam Smith (writer of Beneath The Dark Crystal), Dark Crystal Podcast, May 21, 2019 Gallery Kensho.jpg|Concept sketch by Brian Froud Power of the Dark Crystal Sana Takeda Cover.jpg References Category:Characters Category:The Power of the Dark Crystal characters Category:Beneath the Dark Crystal characters Category:Males Category:Gelfling